Matchmaking Mirrah
by Sensula
Summary: Callaghans are special and used for protection. But why did Mirrah have to get stuck with a blond Slytherin git and a nagging Gryffindor know it all? Please, someone! End this headache before they end up killing each other. DM/HG later on.
1. Chapter 1

Mirrah Callaghan locked the buckles on her trunk and took one last look around her room. It was painted a pale yellow, a neutral color that matched her robin blue bedspread. She would miss this terribly, having the windows open so the Pennsylvanian summer breeze would flow through her room and play with the white curtains around the windows. But she had received orders from Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to come and she could not disobey. Her family had been created and trained for one thing and one thing only. To protect the schools of magic in any way they were ordered to, no matter what might happen to them personally. Her parents already protected Salem's Institute for Young Girls, and her brothers had left for Drumstrang Institute not too long ago. Now, it was her turn. And she was headed off to England.

She looked at herself once more in the full length mirror. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a secure bun, her blue eyes shined back at her from the glass's surface, and she was dressed in her protector's uniform. Black fitted slacks, a black dress shirt with a green fist emblem over her heart, her hooded dark emerald green cloak, her long sword at her side, and her black boots. Mirrah slipped her wand into the special slot that had been designed and made into her leather gauntlets. She turned back to her bed and took a deep breath. Her hawk, for Callaghans never used owls, was already in it's cage. Mirrah lifted the cage in her left hand and lifted her trunk with her right. Turning, she effortlessly took her things downstairs.

A tall woman and man stood in a living room that, if no one had known better, would have would have been viewed as completely normal for a muggle family. A young girl in pigtails was standing next to the man, a finely made broom clutched in her hands. Mirrah stopped in front of the man and woman first. "Do you have your letter?" the man asked as the woman smoothed a lock of hair from Mirrah's face. Mirrah nodded, patting a pocket under her robe.

"You'll write?" the woman asked. She sounded worried, but they all knew it was for sending her daughter off and not what danger might lurk ahead. They could handle anything, Callaghans.

Mirrah smiled. "I'll write and take care of myself, mum," she said. She then looked at the young girl holding her broom. "And I'll send you some sweets all the way from England, Ally."

The girl smiled. "Just send me a book or two, sis," she said. Ally then threw her arms around Mirrah. It was hard, letting a family member go. There had been a similar show for their brothers. Mirrah squeezed her little sister and then stepped back, taking the broom with her.

As a group, they went over to the large fireplace. Mirrah quickly cast a sticking spell on her belongings and tossed some Floo into the fireplace. She stepped into the flames and called, "Hogwarts."

"Don't fail Dumbledore," Mirrah's father called as Mirrah was rushed away into the Floo Network.

The journey lasted only a few seconds before she calmly walked out of the fireplace and into Headmaster Dumbledore's office. He sat behind his large desk, his phoenix sleeping on it's perch. He looked up and smiled behind his half moon spectacles. "Ms. Callaghan," he said, standing up. "A pleasure to see you. I trust your trip was pleasant?"

"As pleasant as Floo can be, Headmaster," she said.

He chuckled. "Quite right," he said. He motioned to the seat opposite his desk and said, "Would you care to sit down?"

Mirrah shook her head. "With all due respect, sir," she said. "I would like to start on the reason you sent for me."

Dumbledore nodded, his wise eyes sparkling with mischief. "Of course, my dear," he said, sitting back down. "But would you like a candy or something to drink first?"

Mirrah had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. Dumbledore was like a grandfather who loved to dot on his grandchildren. "No, thank you, sir," she said.

Dumbledore shrugged and said, "Very well. Now, the reason I've asked you here. The war is over, as you know."

"Yes, sir," she said. "A proud day for everyone. But my family has been asked for to protect against rogue Death Eaters." She paled slightly. "Is there a threat of Death Eaters, sir?"

"I'm afraid so, Mirrah," he said, sighing. "Threats have been placed against many of our heros, but there are two that I am most concerned for." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk before him, pressing his fingertips together.

"Who may they be, Headmaster," Mirrah asked.

He was silent for a moment. "Mirrah," he said. "I'm going to ask you something no Headmaster has ever asked a Callaghan. I want you to protect, not the school, no. I do not want you to do that. I want you to protect our new Head boy and girl. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

Mirrah blinked. "But my main purpose I to protect the school, Headmaster. I have never protected people before. And don't they hate each other?"

Dumbledore chuckled. He stood up and said, "Come with me, Mirrah. I'll explain as I take you to your new lodgings." He walked around the desk and drew his wand. With a flick of his wrist, her trunk and hawk cage were floating behind him. "Shall we?" he asked, waving his hand toward the door.

Mirrah carried her broom as she followed Dumbledore down a set of stairs and into a hallway. There were no students and very few ghosts. It was clear that school had not started yet. "Mirrah," Dumbledore said. "Oh, you don't mind me calling you by your first name?"

"Not at all, Headmaster," Mirrah said.

"Good. Now, Mirrah, I understand that the Callaghan family was set up to protect and defend the schools, mostly from invasion and such. I am sad to say that, unfortunately, we could not call for you when the Dark Lord had risen." Mirrah shrugged. She knew the reason. Politics in the wizarding world were dangerous. If she had been called in, she would have ruined a lot of good plans for the Light side. "Anyway," Dumbledore said, continuing down another stairway. "I've asked for you because, though they may have fought in the past, they are both the most targeted of the death threats from the Death Eaters still out there. The mere fact that I had to call for a Callaghan speaks for itself, I think."

"I am to be their bodyguard, then," Mirrah said as they stopped. They stood in front of a large portrait depicting a lion and snake lounging by a lake. It was quite odd, but everything about Hogwarts was odd.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "That has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Bodyguard. Guarding a body. Yes, you will be their bodyguard. They'll have the same classes, so it should make your job easier. Now, you will be staying with them in the Head Rooms. The password is 'Protection'." The portrait swung open and they walked in.

Dumbledore lead her over to a door right near the portrait and pushed it open. Inside was a large bed, a dresser, a full length mirror, and a desk with a matching chair. "It's not much, but you can decorate it however you want," Dumbledore said as he set Mirrah's things on the bed.

She walked in and propped her broom in a corner next to the window. "It's fine," she said. "Will Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger be sharing a room or just the common area?"

"The common area," Dumbledore said. "They'll fight a bit, probably giving you a headache a time or two. Just bear with it until we can find whoever it is that's threatening the two and take care of it. Now, dinner is in a few minutes, so just come down when you're unpacked. You'll be briefed on when you'll meet your charges and anything else about the situation. Will you be alright wearing your uniform most of the time?"

Mirrah nodded. "I would feel useless without it, Headmaster," she said.

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Good. But, remember, Mirrah. A uniform does not a person make. There is someone beyond it, and you will need that person to calm over the angry tides you will soon face." He winked and said, "Until dinner."

He closed the door to her room and Mirrah sighed. Yes, Hogwarts was odd.

**AN: So, tell me what you think.** **Most of the story will bounce between Mirrah's, Hermione's, and Draco's perspectives, and it will be Hermione and Draco...but it will be later on. So, bear with me on this, okay? Thanks. By the way, her name is pronounced 'Mere-a'. sounds like mirror, but with an 'a'.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione glared at the blond haired git that blocked her path to the Head's car. Why did Dumbledore have to make him Head Boy? She'd worked her bum off since before first year to get to this position. Malfoy had probably just bought his way in or something equally unfair. "Move," she said. "I have to get in there."

"I don't know what that old bat was thinking, allowing a muggle-born like you be Head Girl," Malfoy sneered.

Hermione rolled her eyes and lashed out. Her foot connected with his shin hard enough for him to jump back a few inches. She used that moment to slide the door open and walk into the compartment. She looked around and smiled at the interior. It was decorated in all four house colors. There were a couple of couches, a few arm chairs, a table, and a small trolly nearby with refreshments. It looked like something from the 1800s and Hermione felt herself relax instantly. Until Malfoy walked in.

"God," he said. "It looks like we stepped back in time. Can't they redecorate a bit? It's not that hard."

Hermione glared at him, tempted to tell him where to shove his unwanted comments, but her attention was grabbed by movement in the corner. She turned and watched a young girl unfold her legs from where she sat on a Slytherin designed couch. The girl had silky auburn hair that was pulled back into a military bun, had a black uniform on, black boots, and a dark green cloak. She wasn't smiling, but Hermione saw the amusement in her blue eyes.

"Dumbledore said I might have trouble with you two," the girl said.

"Who are you?" Malfoy asked. Well, more like ordered. Didn't the git know how to behave?

But the girl didn't seem to be offended. She only bowed and said, "My name in Mirrah Callaghan. Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, I am to be your new bodyguard. We'll be spending a lot of time together, so I hope you two will learn how to play nice like good little kiddies."

Hermione blinked. Maybe Malfoy wasn't the only one who was rude. "I don't recognize your accent," she said. "But your name sounds familiar."

Mirrah pulled back her cloak and showed a silver blade at her side. Malfoy instantly reacted, reaching for his wand and stepping forward to shield Hermione. The action confused Hermione, making her wonder why he'd done it, but she looked back at the sword instead. She'd save that for later.

Mirrah raised an eyebrow and said, "I am only showing you my sword as a way of identifying myself, Malfoy. The Callaghan Family, which is stationed in Pennsylvania, United States, is in charge of protecting the magical schools around the world. I was summoned by Dumbledore, though, to not protect the school. I am to protect you two."

"And a small slip of a girl is going to protect us from Death Eaters?" Malfoy asked, his voice becoming condescending again.

Mirrah lowered her eyebrow and raise her hand. With a quick twitch of her wrist, Malfoy's whole body froze up, as did Hermione's. Mirrah walked closer and said, "I have been trained in wandless magic since I was old enough to walk. My family is good at what we do. Don't push my buttons or you will find yourself as you were in fourth year. A bouncing ferret." She paused, searching something in Malfoy's eyes. After a few moments, she nodded, as if finding what she was looking for, and stepped back.

Hermione regained control of her body and she let out the breath she was holding. Mirrah walked back to the Slytherin couch and sat down on the edge, ready to move if something were needed. "Now, then," she said. "Both of you will have the same classes, be in the same place, and will never leave my sight. In other words, your seventh year is going to suck worse than the war. I am to be your shadow, making sure no harm comes to either of you. The only time you will be alone, is when you are secure in your own bedrooms. And don't try to sneak out. I'll know."

"What are you," Malfoy said, sinking into a chair. "Our nanny?"

Mirrah shot him an irritated look. "I'm your bodyguard, Malfoy," she said. "Until we find out who's been sending you and Ms. Granger threatening letters and has been trying to kill you, I'm not leaving your side. Get use to me. And, if you're nice, I'll let you have sweets before bedtime."

Hermione sat down on a chair and stared at the girl, trying not to laugh at how she'd treated Malfoy. She couldn't be more than 18, fresh out of school. Yet she carried herself with experience of years. Hermione had caught herself looking like that many times in the mirror, now that the war was over. Being on the run and taking down an army of evil had changed her, making her aware of what she was capable of. But Hermione had no idea what Mirrah was capable of. The girl was a mystery that was going to be glued to her side very quickly.

"You could learn a few manners," Hermione said, surprising not only Malfoy, but herself. Where had that come from? It was true, but she shouldn't have said it out loud as if she were Harry or Ron.

Mirrah turned her head and shrugged. "I'm not here to make friends, Granger. I'm here to do a job," she said. "Manners are irrelevant if it means keeping you two alive. And it makes things simpler if you two hate me and don't become my friends."

"Already there," Malfoy said.

Hermione knew it was meant to be a snide comment and hurt Mirrah, but the girl only nodded. "Good," she said. "Now, we have a couple hours till we reach Hogwarts. When we get there, I will show you to your dorm after the feast."

"Where will you be staying?" Hermione asked.

"In the same area," Mirrah said.

"With us?" Malfoy complained.

"Yes," Mirrah answered emotionlessly. "And that will mean your sex life will suffer, I'm afraid, until your threatener is caught."

Malfoy groaned and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Great," he mumbled, not bothering to keep his voice down. "I'm stuck with a nanny and a muggle for the entire year."

Hermione shook her head and pulled out a book to pass the time. Head duties were simple enough and she wasn't in the mood to discuss Prefect business right now. The book gave her time to let everything soak in.

She was actually glad to be having someone watch her back at school. Since her first threatening letter, she hadn't felt truly safe in a long time. Hogwarts would change that. And she had a Callaghan as a bodyguard. She couldn't be more safe. Hermione remembered where she'd heard the name, now. During the troubled times with dark wizards, many had feared the take over of magical schools. It was a huge power play, teaching what the next generation would be like. One family had taken this threat seriously. So seriously, that they had trained their children in magic long forgotten or unused. They were trained to protect the schools from any harm. Their battles were legendary, but they were so rarely called for. Hermione had come across them first when she had been on the run with Harry and Ron. The question that ran through her mind, had been, 'Why hadn't they been called for this war?' Now a different question appeared. Why was Dumbledore asking Mirrah to protect her and Malfoy?

The compartment door slid open and Hermione looked up. Mirrah had jumped to her feet and had a wand pointed at the intruder. It had been done in the matter of half a second. Harry stared at her for a moment in confusion, before looking at Hermione. "New security system for the Head's compartment?" he asked.

"Kinda," Hermione answered. "Harry, meet Mirrah Callaghan, Malfoy's and my new bodyguard. Mirrah, this is Harry Potter, my friend."

Harry looked at Mirrah questioningly. "Bodyguard," he said. "I thought the threats weren't that serious."

"Dumbledore apparently believes so," Hermione said.

Malfoy grumbled from his chair and looked over at Harry. "Go away, Potter," he said. "I'm trying to sleep."

Harry only shot Malfoy a dirty look before ignoring him. "Well, will this interfere with our Hogsmead trips?"

"Mirrah is to go where ever Malfoy and I go," Hermione said. "Apparently, we're not to leave her sight."

"Hogsmead shouldn't be too much of a problem," Mirrah said, speaking up. She slipped her want up her sleeve and sat back down, crossing her ankles and folding her hands in her lap as if she were a lady. "You may go with your friends and I will not follow. But you will have a spell on you that will notify, and summon, me if anything should happen."

"Why can't you just do that now and save us the embarrassment of having a nanny follow us around?" Malfoy snapped.

Mirrah settled her cool gaze on him. "Because the spell only works for seven hours," she said. "What if it were to fail while you were in the middle of a shag, Malfoy?"

He stared at her before closing his eyes for another go at sleep. Hermione chuckled and looked up at Harry. "Could you tell Ron and Ginny about this? I don't think Mirrah will let me leave." She looked at the girl and her suspicion was confirmed when Mirrah nodded.

Harry smiled. "Sure," he said. "See you at the feast, then." He turned and left, then. Though the visit had been short, it hadn't failed from putting a smile on Hermione's lips. Harry had to be her best friend ever.

She returned to her book and let the rest of the ride pass in silence, only looking up once to accept a cup of pumpkin juice from Mirrah.

**AN: Okay, so it's a little boring. But I'm just warming up. And I'm sorry about how Mirrah is so cold, but she's non too happy, you understand. She was trained to guard a school (the beliefs and curriculum, stuff like that), and ended up guarding two enemies. But, this is a Dramione, so bear with me, okay? Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm taking this one," Draco said, pointing at the bigger bedroom.

"Why? Because you say so?" Granger asked.

"Yes," he said.

"Who died and made you king?" Granger snapped back.

"I'm king over you anyway, Granger," he said. "With your muddied blood, I'm surprised the Weasel doesn't have to clean himself off every time you're in the area. Then again, maybe he likes the mud. Lord knows he eats like a pig."

Granger gritted her teeth. "You're a bloody git and a prat, you know that, Malfoy," she said. "Ron's better than you in every way."

"So you've been in his bed, have you, Granger?" Draco shot back. "What? Couldn't he book that Brown chit?"

Her face grew red and she raised her hand to strike him just like she had in third year.

"Enough!" Mirrah said, walking out of her room. Granger stopped an they both turned to their bodyguard. "When I took this assignment, I didn't know I was going to be taking care of three year olds. You," she pointed to Granger. "Lower your arm. You," she pointed to Draco. "Apologize and then go to your room. They're all the same size." Mirrah raised a hand and rubbed her temple. "I thought I was done with babysitting children." She looked up and her blue eyes speared both Draco and Granger with a hard look "I've seen first years in Salem behave better than you two. If you two fight again, I'm putting you in corners for a time out."

Granger lowered her arm, but Draco would never apologize. He reached down, grabbed his trunk, and retreated into his room, slamming and locking the door.

When he'd learned he was going to have a bodyguard, he'd felt important. For a full two seconds. Before he found out that his body guard was the same age as him and from the states. Those Salem girls were way behind Hogwarts. He'd thought he could spell circles around Mirrah. Until she'd frozen him in place with a wave of her wrist. That kind of magic had reminded him of Voldemort's and had made him feel helpless. It had earned Mirrah his hatred. Not that she minded. She'd even preferred it. It made sense, actually. If you liked your bodyguard, you wouldn't feel guilty when they risked your life. But he hated it when she treated him like a child. He'd survived a war, for god's sake!

Draco opened his trunk and waved his wand, magically sending his things into their drawers. After that, he sank onto his bed and closed his eyes. Sleep. He needed sleep. And not some cat nap like the one he'd caught on the train. But he'd been having trouble sleeping since the end of the war. With the help of a concealment charm, he hid the dark circles under his eyes from everyone quite well. Whenever he closed his eyes and started to sleep, the same thing happened. He relived the war.

Hermione shoved her drawers closed a bit more roughly than intended. Yeah, she could have used magic, but she like to unpack by hand. Her room was comfortable and she like the four poster bed, but she couldn't be as happy as she wanted. Mirrah was really starting to push Hermione's buttons, and it wasn't even the end of the first day. Treating her like a child...it reminded her of when Ron and Harry had tried to protect her during the war. Did no one think she could handle herself? Yes, she had lost her temper at Malfoy, but he hadn't changed. She'd thought he might have after he'd switched sides, but he was still the same git he was before the war.

She changed out of her school robes, set out her outfit for tomorrow, along with her new books; and slipped into her night clothes. She walked into her bathroom and started her night ritual of brushing her hair and taking care of her teeth.

Hermione stared at her reflection as she brushed. Why was she letting Malfoy get to her? She'd never reacted like this before. Just because he was Head Boy, and she was going to have to share a dorm with him, didn't mean anything else should change. They worked on each others' nerves and yelled at each other. The only difference, was that they had Mirrah. A bodyguard that had no life outside of her charges and treated them like children, though they were the same age. Maybe that was why she was more short tempered? Dealing with Malfoy for the past eight years, she'd built up a tolerance and a strategy of dealing with him. Dumbledore had thrown the proverbial monkey wrench into the mix by placing Mirrah into the the deal. With that new player, Hermione had been thrown off balance. It was like starting all over from first year because they couldn't kill each other. They'd be frozen in place otherwise.

Hermione spit out the tooth paste in her mouth and reached for the mouth wash. As she finished gargling that, she heard a sound from across the hall. She paused and listened. It came again. She spit out the wash and walked out to her room. The sound was louder. Hermione opened her door and stepped into the hall. The whimpering...was coming from Malfoy's room. And he sounded in pain.

Quickly, Hermione grabbed her wand from her bedside and raced across the hall. She unlocked the door with a quick spell and pushed it open, rushing in. Malfoy was on his back, but the blankets were wrapped around his legs as if he'd been tossing and turning. His face was pale and his arms thrashed out at an unseen assailant. Hermione was frozen to her place for a moment before rushing over to the bed, her Gryffindor side yelling at her to help him.

She knelt on the bed and grabbed his forearms, pressing them onto the mattress. "Malfoy," she said, shaking him and trying hard to avoid his flying fists. "Malfoy, wake up." A large fist crashed into her eye, propelling her back onto the floor. She stood up and grabbed him again, shaking him harder. "Malfoy!" she yelled. That did the trick.

Malfoy's eyes snapped open and his eyes, glazed over from sleep, stared up at her. He blinked a few times. "Who hit you, Granger?" he asked sleepily.

"Why?" she asked. "You want to send them flowers?"

Malfoy's lips twitched into a smile before he shook his head, clearing the sleep from them. Hermione leaned back, releasing her hold on him, and waited for him to wake up fully. He rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand before looking at her. "What are you doing in my room?" he asked, sounding a bit more like the git, but it was week.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the facade. "I heard you whimpering and came to check on you. You looked like you were in a nightmare, so I woke you up," she said. She tilted her head to the side, studying him. Had those dark circles been there before? Or the blood shot eyes? "When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?" she asked.

Malfoy looked away and said, "It's none of your business, Granger. Go back to your room. I don't need some muggle tainting my room."

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek to keep from yelling at him, and stood. She bent down to retrieve her wand from where she'd dropped it on the floor, and walked out of his room, closing the door much softer than she wanted to. She turned and found Mirrah leaning against the wall. Her hair was in a tight braid down her back, but she still wore the black uniform.

"He's fine," Hermione said.

Mirrah shrugged. "Didn't ask," she said. "I only felt you leave your room and a panic in Malfoy's. I put two and two together."

"And you didn't even try seeing what was wrong?" Hermione asked.

Mirrah pushed away from the wall. "Why?" she asked. "You took care of him. It's the only time I've seen you two get along. Sort of." She turned and walked back to her room. "Good night, Ms. Granger."

Hermione watched Mirrah close the door to her room before returning to her own. She shouldn't care, but the Gryffindor in Hermione was telling her that she should give Malfoy a potion to help him sleep. The look in his eyes when he'd woken had been the same thing in some of her friends' eyes when they'd woken from a nightmare. Mostly nightmares about the war and everyone they'd lost. Harry had been bad for a while until Hermione had made a sleeping draught powerful enough to knock him out for a full night. It had addicting properties, but, taken in small doses, it wouldn't be too dangerous. She'd only used it in serious situations. And this was serious. Malfoy looked like he hadn't slept in a long while.

Hermione walked over to her trunk and pulled out the false top. There, in nice neat rows, were ten vials of her sleeping draught. She'd brought it for Madam Pomfrey to examine and probably make for people suffering from shell shock. Hermione took a calming breath and picked up the first one. She swirled the green liquid, watching the light bounce off it, before returning and locking the false top into place. She stood and walked back to Malfoy's room. Mirrah popped her head out and, seeing Hermione, returned to her room. Hermione pushed the door open and walked up to Malfoy still in bed.

"What do you want?" he snapped.

Hermione didn't flinch at the harsh tone. She set the vial on the bed side. "Take a sip before you sleep. It'll see you through the night. You need some sleep," she said and turned to leave.

"Why do you have it?" Malfoy asked.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw how vulnerable Malfoy looked, though he tried to hide it with his usual mask. "My friends that suffered from shell shock couldn't sleep before. They took some and slept. I have it for others. Now, get some sleep. Can't have you falling asleep in class. You'd ruin your hair." She then left, closing the door.

Draco looked at the vial and took a sip. He didn't trust Granger. But anything to stop the nightmares was good. And, slowly, he felt his body relax and he closed his eyes. That night, in, who knew how long, Draco didn't dream of death, blood, torture, or pain. He dreamt of nothing but the meadow at home, his parents sitting in the garden and watching him fly around on his broom when he had been ten and the world had been his for the taking. That night, he didn't cry.

**AN: See? I told you things would get interesting. And I liked writing this chapter. Thanks for reading. Please review.**


	4. Chapter 4

Mirrah woke early and got up. She made her bed and looked out the window. It was still dark outside. It seemed she hadn't transferred her clock, yet. So, to occupy herself, she took turned on her magically powered boombox and turned on her favorite band, Alabama, as she stepped into the shower. It was a muggle band, but always made her think of home from the first time she'd heard it at a sleep over when she was young. She'd been homesick and, when her friend had played that band, she had felt better. As the music filled the bathroom, Mirrah relaxed. The song was her absoulte favorite and she couldn't hold it in.

"I'm in a hurry to get things done. Oh, I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I gotta do is live and die, but I'm in a hurry and don't know why," she sang as she washed her hair. As she sang, she thought of her best friend's dad trying to fix the old Camry they use to have in their back yard. Mirrah could have fixed it in a second, or Erika, for that matter, but Erika's dad had wanted to fix it the muggle way. This song had been playing for every mistake he made. Mirrah had charmed the radio to do so.

As she started to shave her legs, she thought of home. She'd have to send a letter home, soon. Ally and she were close and the girl would be worried about the lack of letters. She would understand not getting an update every day, but not once a week would freak the girl out. It was already hard on her, not hearing from her brothers. Mirrah was in that boat with her.

Jonah and Adam had left for Durmstrang months ago and the two girls had only received letters three times. The first to say they had arrived safely, the second to tell them that they were doing well, and the third to say they were very busy with assignments. After that, nothing. When Mirrah had received her summons from Dumbledore, she'd promised herself to send an owl to Ally at least once a week, if not more.

Mirrah turned the water off and stepped out, casting a wandless drying spell over herself. The next song came on and she smiled. "Dancin', shagin' on the boulevard. Dancin', shagin' on the boulevard," she sang as she pulled on her uniform. Though her parents hadn't been fond of Alabama and their songs, they did enjoy this one song. Once, when Mirrah and Ally had been really young, they'd snuck down for a midnight snack of chocolate cake. From the staircase, they'd watched their parents do a slow two step to the song in front of the fire place. Jonah and Adam had joined them a few seconds later, smiling as they watched the two adults.

As Mirrah strapped on her sword, there was a knock at her door. She tensed herself reflectively, and said, "Who's there?"

"It's me," Malfoy's voice said through the door.

Mirrah silently reached out with her powers and nodded. It was him, and Hermione was beside him, though a few steps back. She swung the door open and watched them walk in. She didn't say anything about Malfoy's supperior attitude. Instead, she walked over to her mirror and started to braid her hair. "Can I help you, Mr. Malfoy," she said, knowing this was more of his idea than Granger's.

He looked around the barren room and paused as he looked at the boombox. "Why are they talking about shagging?" he asked.

Mirrah looked at him in the mirror. "It's a dance," she said. Malfoy continued to star at the boombox, as if he could see the words or something. "Was that all you wanted?" she asked, tying her braid off and pulling on her gloves.

Malfoy looked up and looked her over. "No," he said. "I want to know why the Callaghans are stationed in Pennsylvania."

Mirrah smiled for a second before turning and pulling on her boots. "It's calm there," she said. "Simple, quiet, and lots of open fields to practice magic in safely." She looked up from her first boot. "Have you ever heard of anything really bad happening in Pennsylvania?"

Malfoy shook his head. "Why weren't you brought in during the war?" Hermione asked. "The school was taken over by Death Eaters. You could have stopped them."

Mirrah laced up her second boot and stood. "No, I could not," she said. "It would have disrupted too much."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Mirrah pulled on her satchel and said, "You, above all, should know, Ms. Granger. What happens in a chess game, if you suddenly have an extra player? You now have a problem that both players must figure out. It changes long laid plans, it changes a rival's ideas, and the game is thrown in an upheaval. I wasn't called in because the war might have gone on longer. Or you would have never won." Mirrah shook her head. "No. Callaghans are brought in only when no other choices can be made." She started for the door, turning the boombox off. "Now, you have classes and a good breakfast will keep you two yelling at each other for the rest of the day." By her tone, she wasn't looking forward to it.

As they headed toward the portrait, Draco grabbed Granger's elbow and pulled her back a few steps so Mirrah was farther in front of them. "Granger," he said softly.

"Malfoy," she answered.

He looked down at her, into her brown eyes, and swallowed his pride. "Thank you," he said.

Her eyes widened. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said 'thank you'," he said. "That potion you gave me last night...It kept away the nightmares."

Granger looked at him and then nodded. "You're welcome," she said. Draco nodded and moved to catch up to Mirrah. But Granger stopped him. "But, to keep this quiet, you'll have to do something for me." Draco paused and looked back at her. She was completely serious. What? Do something for his enemy? She had to be kidding. Then again, the peace was something he'd do anything for. And if that meant thanking a muggle-born, then he'd do it.

"What do you want, Granger?" he asked.

She was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "I'll think of something," she said. "But just know that you owe me." With that, she walked past him and they made their way to the Great Hall.

Draco walked in and the room quieted. The news of the two's new bodyguard had spread through the school. A lot of people pointed and stared, a few got a head start on the gossip mill, and others just watched. But everyone's eyes were on the three as they headed to the Head's table. They sat down, Mirrah sitting between the two as if she were a mediator, and they began their breakfast. Soon enough, people went back to their meals.

Draco groaned to himself as he saw the sympathetic look coming from the Slytherin tables. This was going to be the worst first day back.

Suddenly, the doors to the Great Hall opened and a group of Durmstrang students came in. Draco knew, because they wore the same uniforms as they had in fourth year during the Triwizard Tournament. Conversation stopped as the boys walked in with their Headmaster and two large men bringing up the group.

"What are they doing here?" Draco asked.

"They're here for the inter school unity," Granger said. "Don't you remember? Dumbledore mentioned it last night at the feast."

To be honest, Draco had zoned out on the speech. He rarely listened to them. Dumbledore motioned to the Head's table to join them. Draco stood up with Mirrah and Granger, walking over to stand next to him in front of the table

The group stopped in front of the teacher's desk and bowed to the headmaster. Dumbledore smiled and stood. "It is with great joy, that I welcome the students of Durmstrang to Hogwarts' halls," he said. He extended his arm and said, "May I introduce the Head Girl and Head Boy. Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy." The boys nodded. "I believe Ms. Callaghan does not need an introduction to your group."

Draco turned to Mirrah and watched her walk past them. She walked up to the two men at the back of the group. The first, the tallest of the two men and with a buzz cut, extended his arm. Mirrah clasped his forearm and shook it, reaching up to kiss the man's cheek. "Jonah," she said. She repeated the action with the other. "Adam. Welcome to Hogwarts."

"You know them?" Draco asked.

Mirrah nodded and returned to her place beside him and Granger. "They are my brothers," she said.

**So? What do you think? Good? Bad? What would you like to see happen in the next chapter? Any mishaps? Fights? Let me know.**


	5. Chapter 5

Draco didn't like Durmstrang. Yes, he had once bragged that it was more superior and his father wanted him there for the purity, but, in truth, he couldn't stand them. And, as joyous luck would have it, he had every class with them. Them, Granger, and the Callaghan siblings as their bodyguards. They'd sit at the back of the classroom, always arriving early, and the Callaghans would stand behind them like they were criminals. When they were out in the halls or the grounds, everyone avoided them or stopped and stared at them. This had been going on for a week and he'd hated it from day one. He couldn't stand it anymore! He couldn't even talk to Blaise or Pansy without Mirrah being right behind him.

Finally, he got so fed up with it, he turned to the one person he knew wanted Mirrah gone as much as him. Granger. Yeah, he was that desperate to be away from the female brick wall.

"Granger," he said, leaning over to her during lunch one day.

"What, Malfoy?" she asked, her gaze quickly darting toward Mirrah, who was sitting with her brothers at the end of the table. The Durmstrang students were all eating their meals at the Heads' table. The Callaghans had thought it would be easier to protect them if they were in one place.

Draco lowered his voice a bit more and said, "Help me come up with a plan that will get Mirrah off our backs. Even for just a little while. I can't stand her being all over us all the time."

Granger nodded. "I know," she said firmly. "Even I'm not that attentive. Any ideas?"

Draco was momentarily stunned by the glint in her eye. This was a side of Granger he'd never seen before. He'd always seen her as a bookworm and a know-it-all that went by the rules. He'd never taken her for someone who would willingly go against rules set by teachers. Then again, having a 24 hour bodyguard would make anyone want to do something they normally didn't do.

"I think," Draco said. "We could distract her and make a break for it. Run while she's not looking."

"Any specific kind of diversion, Malfoy?" she asked.

Draco looked at Mirrah. She ate silently, taking a small bite and chewing. Her fingers stayed on the silverware, rarely putting it down unless reaching for her drink. She didn't look at her brothers, who ate just like her, nor did she say a word to them. Draco could practically see the tension between the three. That was his opening. He leaned close to Granger and said, "Start a fight between the siblings. That will keep her preoccupied for a while."

Granger looked at the siblings and nodded. "I'm on it," she said. "You just be ready to run." She stood and walked over to the other side of the table. She sat down next to Mirrah and said, "Can I ask you something?"

Mirrah shrugged and said, "I guess so."

"Why are you and your brothers so cold to each other?" Hermione asked. It was a blunt question, one she would have never asked before, but it was getting really agitating, having Mirrah standing watch over her all the time. Finding time to talk to Harry and Ron privately was impossible. And the Durmstrang students weren't the best conversationalists in the world.

Mirrah shrugged. "We're not really cold toward each other," she said.

"We're on duty," Adam said.

"But you don't even look at each other unless it's to tell each other what part of your group is doing or where they're going. Don't you guys talk at all?" Hermione said.

Mirrah turned to Hermione and said, "Why are you pushing this? It has nothing to do with you."

"I just don't like seeing people unhappy," Hermione quickly said. It was a good thing she was good at acting, or she might have sweated under the intense stare Mirrah gave her.

"I'm sorry you worry about me and my family relations, Ms. Granger, but there is nothing wrong," Mirrah finally said. "The job requires that we act a certain way when on duty."

"You mean a pain in our backsides?" a Durmstrang student asked.

Jonah looked up from his plate and said, "We are like this because it keeps people alive."

Adam snorted. "Hardly," he said. "We're like this because we're on duty and we're to uphold a certain image."

Jonah glared at his brother. "It also keeps people alive," he said. "'Don't get attached, for you'll be moved soon enough.' Is that not what Da always taught us? Even little Ally knows that."

Mirrah flinched. "How would you know?" she said in a deadly whisper. "You never write to her."

Adam looked between his two siblings. "Are you off your rocker?" he asked. "We couldn't write home because we were busy. You should know that, Mirrah. How many letters have you sent home?"

Mirrah looked up and set her hard gaze on her brother. "Five," she said. "I owl Ally as often as twice a week and I've got the same responsibilities as you and Jonah. We worried about you and Jonah, but you only wrote three times."

Jonah's jaw ticked. "Well, we were busy," he said.

Mirrah turned to him. "You both aren't required to do security detail. One of you could have written a short letter or something. Let us know you were alive and not wounded somewhere," she said.

Hermione quietly returned to her seat next to Malfoy. "Run," she whispered. "They're not paying attention."

Draco nodded and, grabbing her arm, silently snuck them out a side door. He lead Granger through a hallway so they appeared in front of the Great Hall. Mirrah and her brothers were still arguing, though no one at the regular tables had noticed. It seemed, even in arguing, they were quiet. Draco looked down at Granger and, for a moment of relief, shared a smile with her.

"Good work," he said.

Granger shrugged. "It was nothing," she said.

"You were pretty manipulative, is what you were," Draco said. He smiled for a moment, not caring he was complimenting his enemy. He was free of Mirrah, even if it was for a moment.

Granger blushed and looked away. Suddenly, the color faded and she grabbed his arm. "Run," she hissed, turning and running down to the dungeons.

Draco kept step with her and ran. "Why are we running?" he asked as they zoomed down a hallway.

Granger stopped for a second, looked around, then pulled him into a nearby broom closet. His back hit the back of the closet, making him groan. Granger placed a hand over his mouth and shushed him. Draco quickly obeyed and heard rushing footsteps coming down the hallway. They paused outside the door, then moved on.

Granger sighed and dropped her hand. "Mirrah noticed we were missing," she said. She pressed her ear to the door and sighed. "Sounds like she's gone."

Draco sighed. "Good," he said. "I've had enough of nannies and Mirrah is the absolute worse." He waited for a moment and said, "Well? Is she gone?"

"I don't know," Granger said. She looked up at him. "The door's stuck."

Draco paused, then reached around her, trying the knob. It was stuck. "Can't be," he said, giving the thing a hard tug. It wouldn't bulge. He pulled out his wand and tried to open it. No such luck. "Crap," he said.

Granger turned and leaned against the door. She had a large smile on her face. What was she so cheery about? As if reading Draco's thoughts, she laughed and said, "We're stuck in a broom closet. How cliché can you get?" She continued to laugh, grabbing her sides and sliding down to sit on the floor. "And here I thought this only happened in badly written books."

After a while, she calmed down. But Draco was a bit far beyond calm. "How can you laugh!" he yelled. Alright, he wasn't calm in the latest. "We finally get free of that bodyguard and until someone comes to find us, I'm stuck with you in a closet for my small time of freedom!"

Granger chuckled and rested her head against the door. "Sucks, doesn't it?" she asked. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought that Mirrah did this on purpose to get back at us. But how would she know we would go into a broom closet?"

"Maybe she read the same bad books you did," Draco said. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. On the bright side, he was away from Mirrah and her brothers. Bad side, he was stuck in a closet with the last person he wanted to spend his small time of freedom with. He sank down so he sat, his feet touching the door in front of him. Granger faced him, but she was still smiling at the irony.

"So," he said. "How do we get out?"

Granger shrugged. "I've never been down in the dungeons for anything but Potions. I've also never encountered a spelled closet like this."

Draco looked at her strangely. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Granger looked at him. "In _Hogwarts: A History_, I read that there are certain enchanted items in the school. They serve different purposes. They're like the Room of Requirements. This must be spelled somehow to keep people in."

Draco thought for a moment because, he hated to admit it, but Granger had a point. If there was the Room of Requirements, it only made sense that there were other things like it. This must be one of them. Now, where had he heard of this kind of thing before? Certainly this couldn't be kept secret from Slytherins, who knew everything there was about the Dungeons. After a few minutes of going through his memories, he groaned.

"What?" Hermione said. Malfoy had been silent for a while, now. She'd almost thought he'd fallen asleep.

"I know what we have to do to get out of this closet," he said. Though he didn't sound the least bit happy.

"By the tone of your voice, it's not good," Hermione said.

Malfoy shook his head. "Not for us, at least," he said. "This closet was spelled so lovers could meet without others finding them. The only way out of here is to snog each other."

Hermione was frozen for a moment. "What!" she screamed.

Mirrah smiled to herself as she sate on the stairs next to the broom closet. Looks like Granger had just found out what she needed to do to get out. Mirrah had noticed the tension between the two, how could she not? They woke up each morning in a neutral attitude, but, by the end of the day, they yelled at each other over the most inconsequential things. From anyone else, she would have chalked it up to spending so much time together, which the two of them had probably done, as well. But Mirrah could see what they refused to accept. They liked each other. It was in the way they sat next to each other and tried to ignore the other, but would look over at the other when they weren't looking. Yeah, letting them escape and run to the Dungeons was a good idea. Though, on further inspection of the plan, if they had run the other way, up instead of down, she would have had to track them down. And that would have been a pain. But this was just too enjoyable.

Of course, to allow them to escape, she'd had to drudge up the letter problem. Adam and Jonah would probably 'shun' her for a while, then come back. They did it all the time. Didn't mean it hurt any less. Oh, well. Might as well wait for Granger and Malfoy to get out of the closet. Then she'd deal with her brothers.

**AN: I'd like to thank Safuuru for the running away idea. I really liked it. She also suggested I pair Mirrah up with someone. I'm not sure who, I have an idea, but I'd like to hear what you readers have to say. Just tell me who and why (helps when I write the story). Thank you for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I typed this chapter up right after I saw the last Harry Potter movie. If you haven't seen the movie yet, sorry to put some of this in. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**

Mirrah looked up at the stone statues that stood in their crevices outside the Great Hall. They reached to the tall ceiling, and filled the wall space. Each was carved a suit of armor and weapons, ready to take their stand against any that tried to attack the school. From what Mirrah remembered from the reports her parents had been sent, as well as the memories that had been collected from some of the teachers and students, these stone warriors had defended the school well. McGonagall had brought them to life and fought against the Death Eaters and Voldemort.

As Marriah reached out and traced one of the statues, she remembered feeling the spell's activation. One thing she had always had, was the power to know when someone had activated or broken through the protection spells of Hogwarts. Why it was just this school, she didn't know, but she'd never told anyone. The night of the Battle of Hogwarts, she had felt every spell that had pounded against the barrier and the strength of the spell that brought these statues to life. But it was a secret she kept dear to her heart, knowing that no one would understand like she did.

"They're amazing, aren't they?" a voice said, making her jump and turn around.

A tall red headed young man smiled at her. He wore bright robes and had his hands clasped behind his back. He was too old to be a student and was definitely not a teacher.

"Who are you?" Marriah asked.

The man gave an exaggerated bow and said, "Fred Weasley, at your service, ma'am. And who might you be?"

"Mirrah Callaghan," she said, watching him with cautious eyes.

He saw the look in her eyes and smiled harmlessly. "I assure you I'm not going to harm you," he said, taking a step forward.

"You can't assure anything, Mr. Weasley," Mirrah said.

Fred stopped walking and said, "American, right?" Mirrah nodded. "Never been there. Tell me, are all the American birds as cute as you?"

Mirrah didn't smile at the compliment. "Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

Fred sighed. "Not big on small talk, are you?" he asked.

"I prefer a direct approach when talking to people," she said.

"I can see," he said. "Well, I came to talk to Headmaster so I'll just go. See you later, Mirrah." He turned and started up the stairs. He paused, then turn back. "I hope Hermione and Malfoy get out of that closet soon." As he continued up the stairs, Mirrah wondered how he knew. Then she wondered how the two were doing.

"You've got to be kidding me," Hermione said. "I have to snog you?"

"I've heard no complaints from the other girls I've snogged," Draco said, ticked that kissing him was such a pain to her.

Hermione snorted. "They must not be very smart if they chose you to swap spit with," she said, looking at where he sat on an overturned bucket.

Draco growled and glared at her. She paused, surprised at the fierce look in his eyes. She was even more surprised by what he said next. "Granger, I don't care if you take shots at me; that's expected. But don't go making remarks about my friends," he said.

"Coming from the guy who took shots at my friends," she said. "And when did you star to care about someone other than yourself?"

Draco snorted. "You don't know anything about me, Granger," he said. "I stand by my friends."

"Since when?" Hermione asked, giving him a disbelieving look.

A haunted look crossed over his face. He met her gaze and she had to bite back a gasp for the tormented look in his gaze. "Since the war, Granger," he said. "A lot of things changed. People changed." Draco looked at her and said, "You want out of here?"

"Yes," Hermione said, suddenly taken aback at the off topic question. "I don't usually spend my free time hanging out in closets." She expected Draco to make a snide remark about the sentence, but he only stood up and stepped close enough to her that his nose almost touched hers.

"You want out of here," he said. "So do I. So just stay still." Hermione was confused about his order, but didn't have time to ask because he leaned in and pressed his lips to her. It wasn't a fancy kiss; fairly simple. But it surprised Hermione. She didn't know that Draco, who she'd seen as a harsh and forceful git, could be this gentle. It left her speechless even as he pulled away.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wow," he said. "Never knew I could make you speechless, Granger." There was a soft click and the door opened slightly. "Oh, look. The door's open."

Hermione stared at him and then shook her head slightly, as if clearing away the fog. The door opened fully and Mirrah stood with her arms crossed over her stomach. "Have fun, children?" she asked. "Next time you decide to run off, try not to get locked in a closet." Her gaze traveled over the two of them. "But I must say, I am enjoying this greatly."

"You planned this?" Draco asked.

Mirrah nodded. "Not very hard," she said. "Besides, I knew you two hate to be watched all the time. Sorry, but until you're clear of any threats, we're stuck together." She extended an arm toward the stairs and said, "Shall we go, then?"

Draco walked out of the closet and glared at her. "You are annoying," he said.

Mirrah met his gaze. "I know," she said. She looked over his shoulder. "Ms. Granger, are you coming? Or is Mr. Malfoy as good as a kisser as rumored?"

Hermione blushed slightly, but raised her chin and stepped out of the closet. "That is hardly professional, Ms. Callaghan," she said.

Mirrah chuckled. "My ways have never been very Orthodox, Ms. Granger," she said. "Now, why don't we go to the room of requirements for some magic sparing?" She turned and walked up the stairs.

Hermione glanced at Draco for a moment, but he ignored her gaze and walked. To her, that signaled a sort of truce. They wouldn't talk about the kiss and, therefore, it never happened. Okay. She could live with that. She didn't think her friends would understand, anyway.

They continued up the stairs and through the castle until they came to the wall they needed. Mirrah didn't walk past it like one was suppose to do. Instead, she raised her hand and waved it in front of her. The door appeared.

"How did you do that?" Hermione asked.

Mirrah looked over her shoulder at her. "Ms. Granger, there is much that I can do that is hard to explain," she said. She turned back to the door and pulled it open.

**AN: Sorry it's so short. I just had to get it out there. Hope you enjoyed it. **


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